Rancid Oils

Hey all,

I was talking to a Chinese doctor today who is a friend of mine, about the various oils, and he told me that because of the way the manufacturing of some oils is done (to make them look pretty & marketable) that a lot of the natural nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the unprocessed oils get lost in the manufacturing process and the quality of the oil is not the same on the back end as a result.

He told me to ONLY buy oils for use, that are cold-pressed or certified as extra virgin, to guarantee that I am getting the best quality oils. He said this is very important if I am going to take the oils internally and not use them just for hair and skin.

He also told me that some oils can actually be rancid, but because of the way that they are processed it is impossible to know by taste or smell. This really surprised me.

With the cold press method or if they are extra virgin, he said one sniff or taste and you will know if the oils are rancid. However, if the oils have been heavily processed, the natural smells and/or tastes may not be the same and thus you may not easily know if the oil is bad.

Geez, the more I read, the more there is to know about oils. I have never taken oil internally except in capsules although I do like to use olive oil on bread instead of butter and I like hemp oil on a baked potato. Of course I would rather have a little potato w/ my sour cream but I try to control myself, most of the time. :-)

Like they say, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. :-)

Has anyone heard about the fact that if an oil is heavily processed it is hard to know when it is rancid?

Best wishes,
Karen

Should I say something here? ;)

Heavily processed oils because they don`t retain the original smells, smell more bland or like a chemical. Hard to describe. Stick your nose in a bottle of hemp then smell your Wesson and you will know what I mean. I honestly think they add something to those oils so they can sit on the shelf longer and be cheap.

On the flipside, CP/extra virgin oils have a shorter shelf life and will go rancid FASTER. Some Examples.... Evening Primrose, Flax, Safflower - less than 3 months, Rosehip Seed -- less than 6.
Just store them in the fridge to extend shelf life. Some of them will solidify or gel up, but that`s ok just let it sit out a bit at room temp to get the amt you need then put it back in the fridge.

Just to take it one step further....I buy these oils by the gallon or two and repour into 16 oz HDPE bottles then store in the freezer. That might be something else to consider if you only use a little at a time.

Here is a good link about the properties of oils...while it doesn`t say the actual shelf life, it does say which ones go rancid quicky:

http://www.naturesgift.com/agora/car.htm

Here is another that states shelf life:
http://www.zhealthinfo.com/carrier.htm

Again, no set shelf life, but wonderful desc of uses/properties:
http://www.turbosales.com/essentialoil/Voildesc.html

You can mix oils to extend shelflife (for example jojoba is an antioxidant which can be added to Sweet almond oil).

On a side note, Karen ~ it`s in court now, but "they" are trying to get hemp oil banned because it is a cousin to marijuana. We are keepign an eye on this one, because a lot of us use it in soaps, massage oils, lotions, you name it because of it`s wonderful properties. I have a hemp and lavender bar in my shower right now! :O)

Ok, stepping off the soapbox...
trix

Yup - I already can`t get it in the local health food store - of course, I RAN there after reading Karen`s Hemp article. I guess like marijuana - we`ll have to grow our own :D...gabi

[QUOTE=foxfan318] Should I say something here? ;)

Heavily processed oils because they don't retain the original smells, smell more bland or like a chemical. Hard to describe. Stick your nose in a bottle of hemp then smell your Wesson and you will know what I mean. I honestly think they add something to those oils so they can sit on the shelf longer and be cheap.

On the flipside, CP/extra virgin oils have a shorter shelf life and will go rancid FASTER. Some Examples.... Evening Primrose, Flax, Safflower - less than 3 months, Rosehip Seed -- less than 6.
Just store them in the fridge to extend shelf life. Some of them will solidify or gel up, but that's ok just let it sit out a bit at room temp to get the amt you need then put it back in the fridge.

Just to take it one step further....I buy these oils by the gallon or two and repour into 16 oz HDPE bottles then store in the freezer. That might be something else to consider if you only use a little at a time.

Here is a good link about the properties of oils...while it doesn't say the actual shelf life, it does say which ones go rancid quicky:

http://www.naturesgift.com/agora/car.htm

Here is another that states shelf life:
http://www.zhealthinfo.com/carrier.htm

Again, no set shelf life, but wonderful desc of uses/properties:
http://www.turbosales.com/essentialoil/Voildesc.html

You can mix oils to extend shelflife (for example jojoba is an antioxidant which can be added to Sweet almond oil).

On a side note, Karen ~ it's in court now, but "they" are trying to get hemp oil banned because it is a cousin to marijuana. We are keepign an eye on this one, because a lot of us use it in soaps, massage oils, lotions, you name it because of it's wonderful properties. I have a hemp and lavender bar in my shower right now! :O)

Ok, stepping off the soapbox...
trix



[/QUOTE]
Hi Trix,

Of course you should say something. :-) I love to hear what you have to say. It keeps me jumping.

Actually, I just heard for the first time about 1 week ago that it is really OK to freeze oils. A long time ago I tried that a herbalist told me I couldn`t trust the oils when I let them thaw out. So I dropped the idea. But recently I just saw in a herb newsletter that I get that it is a really good way to prevent the oils from getting rancid, especially the ones that go really quickly.

As far as the hemp goes, when I wrote my hemp manifesto article :-) I interviewed some people fighting to prove to the DEA that industrial grade hemp is NOT related to recreational weed and they are quite upset about the current situation because right now the US has to import the majority of hemp they use for products like rope & other things.

I know that companies like Alterna are also leading the fight because they use hemp oil in their shampoo as does Jason and Dr. Bronner for his soap/shampoo.

It will be interesting to see. It is actually a crazy thing all around because hemp was a major cash crop in the days of George Washington so it seems like we are going backwards.

Thanks Trix for all the links and all the wisdom...as always. Please keep posting. I for one love your insights.

Best wishes,
Karen

[QUOTE=Waggy] Yup - I already can't get it in the local health food store - of course, I RAN there after reading Karen's Hemp article. I guess like marijuana - we'll have to grow our own :D...gabi
[/QUOTE]
Hi Waggy,

The whole hemp controversy is just crazy. I hope that the supporters find a way to convince the DEA and the US Gov that the way that hemp oil is processed removes any possibilities for recreational drug use. :-)

I just love hemp oil. It is such a great product and offers so many benefits to our health. Not to mention hair (and skin for some folks that don`t our skin problems). :-)

Best wishes,
Karen

Karen,

Thanks for the positive reinforcement on the posts. There`s a lot of info rolling around in this brain (scary) that I want to share but not come off as a know it all. Those ppl annoy me.

I think the herbalist was speaking of freezing Essential oils? I won`t freeze those, but I will freeze carriers.

As far as the whole hemp thing, I am not anti-govt but sometimes the crap they pull is so arrogant and narrow minded.

Trix

of course, I type this as I am sitting here smoking my hemp and lavendar soap!!

[QUOTE=foxfan318] Karen,

Thanks for the positive reinforcement on the posts. There's a lot of info rolling around in this brain (scary) that I want to share but not come off as a know it all. Those ppl annoy me.

I think the herbalist was speaking of freezing Essential oils? I won't freeze those, but I will freeze carriers.

As far as the whole hemp thing, I am not anti-govt but sometimes the crap they pull is so arrogant and narrow minded.

Trix

of course, I type this as I am sitting here smoking my hemp and lavendar soap!!



[/QUOTE]
Hi Trix,

Gosh I appreciate all the posts on all the boards so much (well except for trolls :-) and I never feel that anyone is a know it all. I just appreciate their time and willingness to share.

When I am writing articles I research and research and still don`t find everything so any added info is so wonderful and makes this all worthwhile.

So thank you again for your time & for caring to share.

....So about freezing oils......

Do you mean that you can freeze essential oils? I was actually talking about carrier oils like coconut and sesame. If you can freeze essential oils I am going to go wild. I have some Basil oil that I would love to try freezing. Can you recommend some tips for freezing the essential oils?

.....Government & hemp oil.......

Yes. Unbelievable because there is no serious connection. Oh well. Hopefully we can educate the powers to be to understand the diff.

Best wishes,
Karen

LOL. Yes, smoking hemp and lavendar soap...you are too funny.

Freezing EOs...I heard of some ladies having the power go out to thier shops and the oils gel but not freeze. The school of thought is not to let the eos get too cold or too hot and avoid exposure to air and light as much as possible. I store my EOs in the fridge door. I have 3 rows of the fridge that are too small for much else, but work great for 2, 4, and 8 oz boston rounds.... here are some ground rules:

A few rules for oils...
If properly stored, oils will last and retain their full effectiveness for a year. Some oils, like rose, patchouli, jasmine, rosewood, and sandalwood, actually improve with age.
Do not store oils in clear bottles. Essential oils and fragrance oils are light sensitive and their strength is drastically diminished when exposed to light. Always choose an amber bottle that blocks ultraviolet rays.
Do not expose oils to extreme temperatures - below freezing or over 95 degrees.
To avoid contaminants by not using droppers that have been used in other bottles or that are dirty.

here is another good site:
http://www.oneplanetnatural.com/storage.htm

Thanks Trix,

Now here is another question. Is amber the only color or is dark blue acceptable? I used to go see an aromatherapist who made up little massage oil recipes and then sold them in dark blue bottles with stoppers.

She also taped the stoppers to the outside of the bottles before they were sold because she told me the oils could "eat away" at the stoppers.

What do you think? I have heard many theories about stoppers (use or not use) but am not sure what I believe.

Thanks,
Karen

cobalt is fine, amber is better. :)
a lot prefer the cobalt for the pretty factor.


and she is right about the stoppers. I had 4 oz of ylang ylang eat thru a stopper and leak out into a wooden endtable drawer, which is down in the basement.